Our View: Deserving of thanks

This winter has been cold. Really cold. Tongue-sticking-to-the-flagpole cold.

Many of us are willing to brave it for only the few seconds it takes to run from our cars to work or the store. Then we run – or at least speed walk – back.

It’s rarely fun to go outside in the bitter cold, unless you’re dressed like you’re preparing to explore Antarctica and you have some really cool toy outside that you can’t wait to use.

There are people, however, whose jobs depend on braving the cold and winter weather conditions. Depending on how things go this week, they may be out there again to deal with, on top of the cold and snow, possible flooding.

We are writing to show our appreciation.

Some, such as firefighters, law enforcement and EMTs/emergency personnel, brave the elements for our protection. When others are running away, they rush in.

For that, and all the frozen fingers that have come with it, we thank them.

Some, such as those who drive the snowplows, come out when things get really bad. They clear and salt and sand our roads so we can get where we need to go. They certainly get paid, but it’s a pretty selfless job working overnight to plow and clear the roads so they’re driveable the next day.

And, more often than not, the thanks we give them is either tailgating them down the road or complaining that they didn’t clear the road we live on soon enough.

For enduring that, and being the nameless and faceless reason that most of us have been able to arrive safely at our destinations this winter, we thank them, too.